Some exhibits use traditional quilting techniques, much like the women of Gee’s Bend do. One such work is that of Kincaid four eyes one vision (2021), which combines materials such as Ghanaian wax block cloth, abrokyere and Ashanti Kente cloth to create a captivating, multi-textured narrative where abstract figures ripple around each other in a melange of blues , purples and yellows. And other works, like Boyd’s The right to (my) life (2017), similarly sew pieces of fabric together to tell stories. The 36 x 48 inch quilt skillfully uses both figuration and text to depict a protruding tableau of three people seated next to each other while an angry mob in the background brandishes placards displaying slogans such as “PLANNING PARENTING” and “STOP ABORTION NOW”. .”

Although the show is rooted in the quilting lineage, “The New Bend” also incorporates other textile pieces, such as weaves. One of these exhibited works, that of Brackens survival is a sanctuary, not the small space near the edge of life (2021), uses cotton and acrylic threads to depict a central shaded figure flanked on all sides by triangles, creating a composition that almost evokes an Ohio Star quilt block pattern.